Seagull Trust Cruises: Free Canal Cruising in Scotland for People with Special Needs

Since its formation Seagull Trust Cruises has owned and operated 10 canal boats at its four Branches.
 

• St. John Crusader: This was the first boat owned by the Trust, and was donated in 1979 by The Order of St. John, who also assisted with the crewing and maintenance. She was a narrow boat from the English canals converted to suit the special needs of the Seagull Trust’s disabled passengers. She was based at the Trust’s first branch in Ratho. Today, she is owned by 'Bridge 19-40 Canal Society', renamed as 'Bluebell' and operating mainly from Port Buchan at Broxburn.
• Janet Telford: Seagull Trust Cruise’s second canal boat, she was designed and built by the apprentices at Telford College, Edinburgh and donated to the Trust. She was based at Ratho and assisted the St. John Crusader. Ultiamely she became too small for the Trust’s needs and has been sold to the Forth & Clyde Canal Society who use her in the Maryhill area of Glasgow.
• Yarrow Seagull: Designed at the Yarrow Shipyard on the River Clyde to the Seagull Trust’s specific requirements. This was the first of a series of boats built for the Trust. She was built by the apprentices at Yarrow Shipyard and when she came into service she was based at Kirkintilloch and still cruises successfully from there today. In 2009 the Yarrow was refurbished, again by apprentices from Yarrow’s, bringing the ‘old lady’ up to date once more.
• Govan Seagull: Built to the same design as the Yarrow Seagull but by the apprentices at the old Fairfields Shipyard at Govan on the Clyde. She has spent her working life with the Falkirk Branch, initially on the Forth & Clyde Canal and when British Waterways completed works on the Union Canal she was moved there and is still there today cruising from the Bantaskine Boathouse.
• Mackay Seagull: Built by Cammel Laird Shipyard near Liverpool, to the same hull design as the Yarrow and Govan although she has a different cabin layout and the drive system to the propeller is diesel/hydraulic rather than direct shaft drive from the engine. She is based at Ratho and took over from the Janet Telford and still cruises there today.
• Highland Seagull: An ex Loch Ness cruiser, she was converted for the Trusts needs by Caley Marina, Inverness and has been cruising most successfully with the Highland Branch of Seagull Trust Cruises since its formation in 1989.
• St. John Crusader II: Another very generous donation by the Order of St. John, this canal boat came into service in 1996 and like her predecessor she is based at Ratho. She is of a modern design with a totally enclosed wheelhouse and she continues to give the service and comfort for which the Ratho Branch has become renowned.
• Marjorie Seagull: Named in honour of the late Mrs. Marjorie Brown, from Edinburgh, whose very generous bequest to the Trust enabled this boat to be built. Initially the “Marjorie Seagull” is located at, and cruises from, the Trusts’ Kirkintilloch branch.
• Marion Seagull: Named in honour of the late Mrs. M.H. Salvesen whose Charitable Trust agreed to provide the funding for the building of a residential canal boat designed specifically to suit the needs of a family with a disabled member. She is currently run by the Falkirk branch and based at the Falkirk Wheel Basin from where she can cruise the full length of both the Lowland Canals.
• Barr Seagull: The “Barr Seagull" was launched on 12th May 2006 at Lock 16 on the Forth & Clyde Canal. She then went up on The Falkirk Wheel to our boathouse at Bantaskine where she is based. She entered service with the Trust on June 1st. The Barr Seagull also cruises from Bantaskine, and is a similar boat to the Govan Seagull. The Seagull Trust is very grateful to the Barr Charitable Trust for providing the funds to enable her to be built in Falkirk by Binnie Marine in the workshop of A L Gordon at Bankside.

View pictures of past and present boats used by the Seagull Trust